AMBIENCE – Bob & Janet Petersen

AMBIENCE

Favorite Cruising Destination
My wife and I have spent 11 years cruising the Prince William Sound with two different boats out of our home port of Whittier, Alaska. One of the most pristine bodies of protected water in the world (the effects of the Exxon Valdez spill long gone) the Prince William Sound provided us with world-class salmon and halibut fishing, shrimping and crabbing. We spent nearly 300 days plying the Sound, looking into every nook and cranny and still did not see it all. Most often we shared bays in the evenings with no one but Mother Nature.

Favorite Boating Experience
In 2006 we were bringing Ambience, our 59′ Symbol, up the West Coast from Marina del Rey to Alaska when we stopped in San Francisco Bay for the night. On arrival we noticed a pyrotechnics barge surrounded by numerous floating boats and as we continued our approach we found a spot where we, too, could sit and float for a bit. It was then that we were treated to the best fireworks display we had ever seen. We thought, “Hmmm, do they do this for all their visitors?” Wow!

About the CrewJanet Petersen, is my wife and first mate (literally). She helped build our business The Petersen Group, which is a condominium development and contracting firm. She also helped raise our daughter, Christine, who is in her first years of college. Having these two things under our belt are affording us the opportunity to accomplish this boating adventure.
Scott and Suzi Morris are dear friends of ours who live in Solana Beach, CA. They have extensive sailboat experience and both are private pilots. Scott speaks Spanish and has spent a lot of time on Baja, which should be advantageous

What’s in a Name
We were impressed with the interior lighting and colors of our then soon-to-be-purchased boat; it looked so darned good compared to our then current boat that it inspired the name.

Reason to Buy This Boat
Believe it or not it all started with finding a layout with a table that six people could eat at. After a day of exploring or fishing we would gather around and tell stories while enjoying a good meal. We have had great times around that table.

Interest in CUBAR
Over time we hope to continue south eventually crossing over to the Atlantic via The Panama Canal and then up the east coast via the Inter Coastal Waterway. While being a part of the CUBAR we hope to meet like minded people who also want to continue on, while enjoying the camaraderie and fun of being a part of a large boating group.

Boating StoryIn 2007, after spending the winter in Seattle, we were headed up the Inside Passage and back to our homeport of Whittier, Alaska. With us for the cruise were my parents, our 9-year old daughter and a couple of long time friends. Along the way we pulled into the small coastal town of Tenakee Springs for the night. While grandma and grandpa looked on, our daughter did her part and worked the lines as we docked. As luck would have it, we docked next to a storywriter and he must have been impressed because he wrote about our three-generations on board and working together. We never knew about this until last year when a friend spotted his article while perusing the Internet looking for shrimping articles. You never know who’s watching! Check it out at http://www.fineedge.com/ARTICLES/inside_passage_blog/blog_16.html